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Chapter 8: To Be Rightly Tuned

The first question:

Osho,You say that it is enough for us to just be, that we don’t need to do anything to be in God. I have this gut-feeling that I need to do to be worthy, to contribute, to give something. And you say that God is within me. I realize I am looking inside for some concept I got from the outside.It is like looking down into a well in the night. I see reflections and I think it is the bottom, but it is only the surface. Even when I know I need only let and wait rather than look for anything, I am still waiting for my own concepts of what should happen. Please comment.

The first thing - the most fundamental - to be understood is that you are already in godliness. It is not a question of being in God: you are already there. Just as the fish is in the ocean, you are in God. God simply means the existence, that which exists.

In the ancient Hebrew, the word God stands for that which is. G stands for that, O for which, and D for is - that which is. The word God is tremendously significant. It does not indicate a person; it simply indicates a presence. And the presence is everywhere. Life is synonymous with godliness, universe is synonymous with godliness. To be is to be in godliness - there is no other way. To breathe is to breathe in godliness - there is no other way. To sleep is to sleep in godliness and to wake up is to wake up in godliness - there is no other way. You can choose to sleep, still you are in godliness. You can choose to forget godliness, still you are in it. You can choose to deny godliness, still you are in it. Not to be in godliness is the only impossible thing - the only impossible thing I say.

So it is not a question of becoming worthy. But I am not saying don’t become worthy. I am not saying be lazy, lousy. I am not saying become an escapist. I am not saying don’t contribute to existence. But your contribution to existence should not be a means to reach the divine - that’s what I am saying. Your contribution to existence should be in gratefulness that you are in godliness. It should not be a means to reach - because you are already there. It should be an overflowing of joy because you are already there. Be very clear about the distinction.

Share your joy, your love, your ecstasy. Make life as beautiful as possible. Just out of thankfulness that existence has chosen you to be, that you are allowed to be, that you are given life. What else can you do? If you can sing a song, sing it with your totality. If you can paint, paint, and put your whole heart in it. If you can dance, dance to abandon so you disappear completely in the dance and there is no more any dancer but only the dance remains.